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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26853748">Hold Your Hand</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/raining13/pseuds/raining13'>raining13</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>F-Zero (Video Games), Minecraft (Video Game), Mother 2: Gyiyg no Gyakushuu | EarthBound, Super Mario Bros. (Video Games), Super Smash Brothers, The Legend of Zelda &amp; Related Fandoms, Undertale (Video Game)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alex Uses She/They Pronouns, Arcades, Asexual Sans (Undertale), Cigarette mention, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Nonbinary Alex (Minecraft), Self-Indulgent, Slow Burn, Yearning, alcohol mention, am i proud of it? no., did i think this up at one in the morning? yes., i'm projecting, is this ship going to rot my soul with just how sweet it is? also yes.</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-10-06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-10-27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 17:01:20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>5</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>8,872</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26853748</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/raining13/pseuds/raining13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Steve is not too keen on these Smash Bros Roster parties. Mario and crew throw them every time someone new joins the roster, and while Alex is having the time of her life, Steve wishes he could be anywhere else. He steps out onto the balcony to get some fresh air and runs into a rather strange character.</p><p>Admittedly, Sans's excitement was rather understated when he spotted that Smash invite in the mailbox. He knew from experience that using his full power for long periods of time was stressful and draining, and he really didn't feel like it. He stuck around, though, enjoying the company of the rest of the roster, if only somewhat. After another Roster party, he steps onto the balcony, feeling much more comfortable with his own thoughts.</p><p>And so they meet face to face, for the first time. They're vastly different, sure, but they're much more alike than they've been lead to believe.</p><p>If only either of them were good at romance.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Mettaton/Papyrus (Undertale), Sans (Undertale)/Steve (Minecraft)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>49</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Anywhere Is Better Than Here</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Steve's optimal surroundings consisted of long, winding walks through birch forests, picking flowers among the hillsides, and riding a horse until he couldn't see the sun over the mountaintops. They consisted of the early morning fog, silent conversations from across the table while the furnace crackled, harvesting potatoes when the sunlight beat down on his face like a fist of flame, and shooting at Pillagers from a distance with weapons the raiders themselves had crafted. They consisted of digging through the ice until his fingers froze twice over, petting the cat he'd found between the acacia trees, serving mushroom stew to his only two friends, and watching over turtle eggs while their parents were away.</p><p>Steve's optimal surroundings were quiet. Peaceful. Cozy.</p><p>Anything but this.</p><p>Right now, he was surrounded by bass-boosted EDM music playing from wall-mounted speakers, watching people he hardly knew sip drinks that burned the back of his throat, waiting for Alex to get bored of h'ours derves so they could waltz back on over to the dorms and sleep. Steve wasn't used to so much commotion, much less a Roster Party.</p><p>He knew Mario and his brother Luigi. Well, not in any respectable amount, but he still knew them. Who didn't, after all? He considered the former to be generous to a fault but just a tad overbearing, while the latter was soft-spoken but much too cautious to get anywhere near either of Steve's housemates. Alex was much too brash for the green brother's tastes and Herobrine managed to scare both of them off, though Mario wouldn't have admitted it out loud.</p><p>"I don't mind that much," Herobrine had admitted, sticking a berry between his teeth like it was a cigarette, though none of them had ever seen one in person. "They're overrated celebrities. They'll forget about us the second they get back to the Mushroom Kingdom. Maybe even sooner."</p><p>"Don't be so pessimistic," Alex had scoffed, returning to her chores.</p><p>"Ain't pessimism," Herobrine countered. "Just facts." He'd paused, taken a whiff of the berry, and then eaten the whole thing, leaf and thorns included. "Ain't my fault."</p><p>Time had proven Herobrine's conclusion to be false; despite being "overrated celebrities," neither brother had forgotten about the lot. In fact, they'd held Steve and co. in a rather special place in their hearts, for just a few months later, the letter arrived. Steve had jumped for it as soon as it'd hit the table, spotting the red wax emblem stamped on the front. Herobrine had insisted it was nothing special, though his confused yet smug expression told Steve that he was probably lying through his teeth.</p><p>Alex had torn the letter open with some flint, reading the letter once and then twice before allowing Steve to look it over. He passed it to Herobrine, who scowled with disapproval, as he did with most things.</p><p>"Hey," he muttered, his voice dangerously low, "where's <em>my</em> name?"</p><p>Steve looked it over; the letter mentioned him, Alex, a zombie, and an enderman, but any mention of their second housemate, had it existed at any point, had run away and taken the excitement with it.</p><p>Well, at least Steve's excitement. Despite Herobrine's unfortunate position, Alex was head over heels for an opportunity to be in the Smash Tournament.</p><p>"You're just jealous 'cause I get to hang out with two of your favorite 'overrated celebrities,'" she'd teased, blowing a raspberry.</p><p>Now, though, Steve sort of wished Herobrine had accompanied them. With no other friends to talk to besides Alex (currently playing a game of table tennis with Princess Zelda), he felt more like an outcast rather than the party's focus, as was intended. At least Herobrine would've made a snarky comment about the food. That would've made Steve feel a little better.</p><p>How long had it been? He checked the clock on the wall. An hour, it said, but it felt like so much longer. If only clocks could tell the time in terms of eternities.</p><p>With nowhere else to go and nowhere else he particularly wanted to be, Steve made a bee-line for the balcony, scanning the room for anyone who might've tried to make small-talk. He got to the doorway, glanced around to make sure Alex wouldn't stop him, and stepped out into the night.</p><p>The first thing he noticed, once outside, was the fact that he was not alone. About two feet away, leaning over the railing, was a skeleton wearing a light blue jacket, white mittens, black shorts, and a pair of pink slippers. His expression was one of a man who'd aged a million years in the span of only twenty, and the reason Steve recognized that far-off, helpless gaze was because he saw it every morning when he spotted himself in the bathroom mirror. The skeleton slouched over the railing with somewhat of a purpose (as to what it was, Steve had no clue), crossing his arms over his chest, one foot on the ground, and the other tapping along to the EDM music that continued inside.</p><p>The skeleton glanced over at Steve, his hundred-mile stare quickly changing into one of general exhaustion and familiarity; the look one might give an old friend. It was a mask, meant to hide something deeper, but it brought Steve a strange sense of relief. What did not bring him any relief, however, was that the skeleton looked of such frail constitution that Steve could simply blow on him and he'd turn to dust, carried away by the wind if he hadn't been already.</p><p>"oh, hey," the skeleton greeted, as if they were but acquaintances. "you're the new kid, right?"</p><p>Steve blinked. "Oh." He rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. "I suppose so."</p><p>The skeleton smiled, nodding to the crowd inside. "i'd guess that the roster party isn't really your thing," he chuckled.</p><p>"You'd... You'd be right," Steve sighed, a hint of a smile tugging at his lips. "Most of my life is pretty quiet."</p><p>"heh. guess we're stuck in the same boat. i've never had a quiet life, per se, but it's certainly never been <em>this</em> loud." He stuck a hand out to shake. "name's sans. sans the skeleton. you're steve, right?"</p><p>"Err, yeah, that's me. Nice to--"</p><p>As soon as Steve's hand gripped Sans's mittened one, a strange sound reminiscent of a fart emanated from Sans's palm. It lasted an impressive ten seconds before it finally faded to nothing, and though it was one of the oldest tricks in the book, Steve had to struggle to hold back a laugh. Sans's lip quivered as though he were in a similar situation.</p><p>"ol' whoopee cushion in the hand trick," he smirked. "believe me. it's always funny."</p><p>"Thanks," Steve chuckled. "I needed that."</p><p>Sans smiled, though his eyes held a glint of genuine surprise. "no problem," he said. "so, where do you come from?"</p><p>Steve thought for a moment. "Everywhere and nowhere, I suppose," he shrugged. "My friends and I tended to move around a lot. You?"</p><p>"a little town called newer home," said Sans. "our king wasn't very good at naming stuff."</p><p>They both laughed.</p><p>"so, your friends," Sans continued, "the girl, the zombie, and the tall purple thing?"</p><p>"Oh, well, Alex isn't a girl," Steve clarified. "She's agender. Goes by she and they."</p><p>"ah. okay. what about the other two?"</p><p>"Beats me." He snorted. "I think most zombies are genderless, but I'd have no way of knowing. Alex and I used to fight them. They're pretty common where we're from and they're not particularly friendly. Or smart."</p><p>"i mean, they're zombies," Sans chuckled, leaning an arm on the railing. "no one would expect them to be. don't have any brains." He laughed at his own joke. "and then the...?"</p><p>"Ah, that's called an enderman," Steve explained. "Relatively peaceful unless attacked, looked in the eye, or if it touches water. They can teleport around, make weird noises, and be generally creepy as hell. I have legitimately no idea how Herobrine managed to tame that thing..."</p><p>Sans raised an invisible eyebrow. "herobrine?"</p><p>"My other friend. He didn't get invited. Said he didn't care but I could tell he was jealous."</p><p>"ah, yeah. papyrus got like that when i got my letter."</p><p>"Papyrus?"</p><p>"my younger brother," said Sans. "energetic, loud, sweet, and kind. coolest guy i know. i think you'd like him."</p><p>"Hmm. I don't remember seeing you on the roster when I got in here," Steve admitted, looking the skeleton up and down. "What's that about?"</p><p>Sans shrunk into his jacket somewhat. "well, i don't appreciate fighting all that much," he said, looking down at his feet. "wears me out." He gestured inside, pointing his thumb at one of the Mii Gunners. "so i just gave that one some of my clothes. thought they deserved a day in the limelight." He chuckled, shoving his hands back in his pockets. "i mean, the cast got me to stay, at least for a little while. those mario bros. are awfully persuasive. besides, as soon as that ness kid recognized me, he <em>begged</em> me to stay in the dorms. couldn't let a fan down."</p><p>"I get it," Steve laughed. "Those kids are pretty friendly." He glanced back towards the rest of the party, his heart dropping into his stomach. "It's been really nice chatting with you, Sans, but..." He grimaced. "I don't particularly feel like going back in <em>there...</em>"</p><p>"heh. me neither," Sans admitted. "you don't have to stay, you know. no one said this was, like, a required thing."</p><p>"I mean, it'd be nice to leave. But..." Steve ran a hand through his hair. "I don't want to be rude."</p><p>"i can teleport."</p><p>Steve glanced back. "What?"</p><p>"i mean," Sans started, "i wanna get outta here, too. teleported outta the roster party when they were celebrating that girl with the long arms. no one even noticed." He shrugged. "besides, i've got a frozen pizza i still haven't eaten back at the dorms. you seem pretty nice. wanna come back to my place and watch tv or somethin'?"</p><p>Steve thought it over a moment. He didn't know how Alex would respond to him leaving unprompted, but he really didn't want to spend the rest of the night here if he could help it. "Anywhere's better than here," he chuckled. "Sure. I'll let Alex know I'm leaving."</p><p>He pushed his way back into the crowd, practically willing himself to move forward. Finally, he found Alex, slumped halfway across one of the round tables, holding a red cup in one hand and a party horn in the other. Steve sighed and nudged her shoulder.</p><p>"Wha?" Alex mumbled, looking up at him with a bewildered expression. It wouldn't have surprised him if she was a bit tipsy. "Oh, yo, Stevie. Where've you been?"</p><p>"Outside," Steve answered. "What... What're you drinking?"</p><p>Alex glanced into her cup as if even <em>she</em> didn't know. "Uh... I think they called it vacation juice. Hella strong, though. I got through seven glasses of that malbec Captain Falcon sent us the other day, and yet <em>this</em> stuff is making me dizzy in only <em>two.</em>"</p><p>"Try not to overdo it, Alex."</p><p>"Yeah, I won't. I'm a... I'm responsible. I can't even drive. I'll be fine."</p><p>"Hey, listen," said Steve, "I'm gonna head out with a friend. Party's getting to be a little much for me."</p><p>Alex gave a thumbs up. "Yeah, that's cool. Safe travels, man."</p><p>"You're the best, Alex."</p><p>"I know that, man, you don't have to tell me."</p><p>He gave her a pat on the back and forced his way back through the crowd, keeping his eyes fixed on the skeletal figure in the doorway to the balcony. He found his way back with surprising ease, taking notice for the first time that the younger Roster members were not present.</p><p><em>Probably due to the alcohol,</em> he concluded, finding his way back to Sans.</p><p>"Ready to go," he announced.</p><p>"alright," Sans smiled. "get ready for this part, 'cause it gets a little intense." He held out a hand and gestured for Steve to take it. "ever teleported anywhere before?"</p><p>"A few times," Steve admitted, taking Sans's hand. "Why?"</p><p>"eh, nausea, mostly," Sans shrugged. "you might wanna close your eyes."</p><p>Steve did as he was told, squeezing his eyelids shut as he had before diving headfirst into the End portal. He'd been warped to different places before, but this time was oddly different. Reality spun on its head before a petrifying level of cold washed over him, followed by a strange burning sensation. There was a sense that he was probably nowhere and everywhere at once, and before he could properly identify the implications of that, reality spun back into place, and they were in Sans's apartment.</p><p>"welcome to my humble abode," the skeleton smiled, holding his hands up as though he were giving a grand tour. "make yourself at home."</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Unspoken Words Make For Meaningful Conversation</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Sans showed Steve around the dorm as though he were showing off a cruise liner to a crowd of hungry billionaires. He described certain objects in great detail as though he were auctioning off his life story, and though the place was tinier than the wooden hideout Steve had lived in back home, it was tiny in a homey, comforting way. So was Sans, admittedly, which took him by surprise, since the skeleton's far-off eyes suggested anything but. Steve had half expected him to curl up onto the couch and cry himself to sleep as soon as the necessary formalities had been done away with.</p><p>Another thing; Sans's dorm looked nothing like Steve thought it would look. In all honesty, he'd been imagining a ratty, half-hearted estimation of the room every Roster fighter started with, looking as though a tornado had blown through it and sapped all the joy out of the dorm. It would at least explain why Sans's expression looked like it was hiding something pitiful.</p><p>No. Instead, the room was freshly vacuumed and dusted to perfection, with a few action figures set up along the mantle and framed photos placed on the end tables. Steve spotted the picture of another skeleton, this one wearing a red scarf and... <em>some</em> sort of armor. Next to this skeleton stood Sans, and right away Steve could tell the difference between their smiles. While Sans's was clearly meant to hide something he didn't want to admit he was feeling, the other skeleton's eyes held the light of someone who saw the good in the world when no one else could. Those eyes were filled with curiosity and potential, stronger than any Steve had ever known.</p><p>The younger brother, perhaps. It was almost comedic how he towered over Sans's minuscule form.</p><p>For a moment, Steve saw another skeleton of greater confidence, though with a more shattered, hopeless aura, but he blinked and the image was scrubbed from his sight.</p><p>"my brother, papyrus," Sans confirmed, walking over to the marble countertops. "he's a sweetheart. got to be the coolest person i've ever laid my eyes on."</p><p>Steve snorted. "Your... <em>younger</em> brother, right?"</p><p>Sans raised an eyebrow, his grin pulling up at one side. "he's <em>lightyears</em> taller than me," he laughed. "that's my fault for not eating my vegetables as a kid."</p><p>He showed Steve portraits of his other friends; Toriel, the caretaker of the ruins, her face lined with the wrinkles of a doting mother just past her prime; Undyne, a fierce warrior, her young eyes carrying fire and passion beyond any soldier; Alphys, the royal scientist, her timid nature shining through even something as simple as a photograph; Asgore, the king of the monsters, a fatherly glow in the dimples that caressed his smile.</p><p>Frisk.</p><p>There was something different about them, Steve thought. Though their face was one of youth, their expression carried the intensity of a wounded veteran, facing the blinding memories of a war they were never meant to fight. He didn't know what prompted that conclusion, though Steve came to it nonetheless.</p><p>"good kid," Sans sighed. "awfully determined, too." His eyes narrowed a tad, as if he could see something Steve could not. "they're not the most talkative of people, but they're one of the kindest kids i know."</p><p>The one thing that didn't seem out of place was the sleeper sofa on the far side of the room, the sheets and blankets thrown across it like a frisbee. It occurred to Steve quite suddenly that Sans had organized it himself, as the skeleton moved over to adjust it as if he hadn't been expecting Steve to see it. The contrast between the sofa and the rest of the room was subtle but quite jarring.</p><p>The realization struck Steve like a slap to the face.</p><p>Someone else had set up this room.</p><p>Not any of the Smash Brothers staff. Not Mario himself. Probably Papyrus, if Steve's gut was pointing him in the right direction.</p><p>"should probably turn this back into a couch, now that i think about it," Sans laughed dryly, most of the humor sapped from his voice. "i showed papyrus this place as soon as i got settled. he jumped at the opportunity to make it as nice as possible. asgore brought me a bouquet to put on the table, but..." He stuck one thumb in the direction of the dining room, where a pot of white lilies slowly wept and wilted.</p><p>Steve grimaced. "You know white lilies are the symbol of death, right?" he asked with just a hint of a laugh.</p><p>Sans wheezed, slapping one bony kneecap. "really?!" he exclaimed, all his charm seeping back into him. "y'know, that's probably payback for writing on asgore's face in his sleep... or maybe he just doesn't know his flower symbolism."</p><p>After that, Sans folded the bed back into a couch, moseyed over to his kitchen, and yanked a frozen pizza out of the icebox. Steve's stomach growled loudly; he hadn't quite realized how hungry he really was until this moment. Sans reached into one of the cabinets and pulled out a couple of plates, slapping a few slices of pizza onto one of them and sticking it in the microwave.</p><p>Mushrooms and bacon. An odd combination, but Steve had always loved mushrooms and pork.</p><p>They ate together in practical silence, their faces lit only by the overhead lamp strung from the ceiling. Steve saw, for the first time that evening, Sans's toothy grin separate into two neat rows of teeth as he ate. Behind those teeth was, surprisingly, a tongue. Steve didn't know whether to be intrigued or outright disgusted, as every skeleton he'd seen in his lifetime didn't have an inch of muscle or skin left on it.</p><p>Did Sans count as undead?</p><p>Did he even want to know?</p><p>Steve realized he'd been staring and instead opted to look down at his pizza, which was still untouched. He picked it up and bit into it, savoring the flavor. It was room temperature, which was only slightly disappointing, but he guessed that he could probably just heat his next slice for longer if he was still hungry.</p><p>The rest of the night was spent watching sit-coms on Sans's TV. Steve hadn't ever watched TV before this moment, except for in his own dorm when he was trying to figure out how one would go about operating the TV. Sans showed him the ropes; how to work the remote, how to access the guide, how to record certain programs... it was all new and foreign to Steve, but he was enjoying every second.</p><p>They got to a point where he was sure Sans would pass out every time he blinked, and though he wouldn't admit it out loud, Steve was feeling the exact same way. He wanted to get back to his own dorm and collapse onto his bed, but he was genuinely having a good time.</p><p>He glanced at the phone in his right pocket. He didn't really know how to use it but they could surely exchange numbers, couldn't they?</p><p>"Hey," Steve whispered, "I've gotta get going. Wanna exchange contact info?" He held up his phone.</p><p>Sans woke from a state of half-awareness. "huh? oh, yeah, sure," he replied, leaning over and plucking his phone off of the coffee table.</p><p>He walked Steve through the process and, after trial and error, he finally got Sans's number into his contacts. They both sighed in relief, neither of them very technologically adept, and Steve walked over to the door.</p><p>"well, it's been nice hanging out," Sans smiled, holding out a hand for a high-five. "i actually had a pretty good time. we should hang out again soon."</p><p>"Sure," Steve chuckled, looking hesitantly at Sans's outstretched hand. "Err..."</p><p>"i promise there's no whoopee cushion this time," he assured him.</p><p>They high-fived. Steve didn't remember the last time he'd done one of those.</p><p>He left shortly after, waving to Sans from down the hall. His own dorm wasn't too far off; a short trip up the stairs and he was already at his own door, eyes half-lidded, ready to let sleep consume him.</p><p>Alex was already home. She'd taken residence on their own sleeper sofa, though it was considerably neater than the one Sans had in <em>his</em> dorm. Alex liked to keep her space clean if she could help it. She was already fast asleep, snoring quietly, so Steve gave her a quick pat on the back and headed into the next room to get ready for bed.</p><p>He stopped to look at himself in the bathroom mirror. The bags that were usually under his eyes had faded somewhat, and his usually messy brown hair looked as though it had finally evened itself out. There was a shine to his expression that he hadn't seen in a considerably long time.</p><p>For once, he didn't think he looked half bad.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. No True Painkiller For Existential Migraines</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Sans didn't sleep that night, as per usual. He brought his thoughts to a boil and examined the whole day bit by bit, wondering if there was any point to the hours he was spending before the inevitable took hold of the world by storm.</p><p><em>don't you dare think about that,</em> Sans told himself, mentally smacking himself in the side of the head. <em>the human isn't even in a position to do that</em> <em>anymore.</em></p><p>It was instinctual, that urge to take everything with a grain of salt. Or, rather, a chunk of salt and a sprinkle of apathy for taste, because he'd spent a lifetime wondering when it would be swept out from under his feet. Now that the monster race was out of the underground, however, the universe found no reason to start over from scratch, and Sans no longer anticipated a morning where he'd wake up back in Snowdin, staring up at a dull, red ceiling, crying into the sleeves of his jacket.</p><p>He hadn't the faintest excuse to not care.</p><p>So why was he so afraid?</p><p>That Steve character was an enigma for sure. Though his intentions were innocent enough, Sans couldn't help but feel the man's eyes boring into him, picking apart every flaw contained in his SOUL and trying to piece it back together again. Perhaps the young man could see right through the skeleton's placid smile and into the despair that lied beneath. The possibility filled Sans with a sense of dread. Steve was observant, more so than Toriel or Frisk could've ever been.</p><p>Toriel saw the world through the eyes of a caring mother, easing the worries of those around her and doing her best to help where she could. Her desire to assist her friends was strong enough that, whenever Sans revealed that he might be even a little bit not-okay, she'd turn around, sit him down, and try her goddamned best to make him feel better. It usually did the trick, to his surprise, because whenever he left Toriel's house, he was filled with a warm, fuzzy feeling in his chest.</p><p>Sans didn't remember his mother if he'd ever had one, and though he viewed Toriel more as a close friend rather than a parental figure, he couldn't help but wish he'd had a mother like her to watch over him.</p><p>Then there was Frisk. Through every timeline and every reset (their perfectionism drew them to both ends of the moral compass, as Sans was quick to learn), Frisk had always just <em>known.</em> If Sans was cycling through a spiral of negative, intrusive thoughts that day, Frisk <em>knew.</em> If Sans was considering the possibility that a reset would happen soon, Frisk <em>knew.</em> If Sans was even the slightest bit more pessimistic than the previous hour, Frisk <em>knew.</em> It was disturbing, in a way, but in certain timelines, it provided him with small comfort.</p><p>Steve... well, Steve <em>knew,</em> in a sense, but not like Frisk. Steve knew through comparison. He was... <em>similar</em> to Sans in many ways. They were cut from the same cloth, sewn with the same thread, folded by the same world's hands. Those hands were not particularly gentle or forgiving, he knew, and time didn't heal as fast as Sans thought it would.</p><p>He'd heard very little about Steve until today, and most of his intel came from rumors and gossip passed around the Roster. Steve was somewhat of a celebrity in his own right; apparently, most of the veterans had been anticipating his arrival for <em>years.</em> They constantly spoke of the young man's swordsmanship, his archery skills, his architectural knowledge... the list went on and on.</p><p>Mario, the man himself, had known Steve in passing, as he did with everyone in the Roster. But Mario's schedule was a tight one, filled to the brim with tournaments, sporting events, and even the Olympics, and that hinged on the possibility of Princess Peach not being captured that particular week (or Luigi finding another haunted house. One or the other). Sans's neighbors got rumor that Mario planned to visit Steve one month, and just like that, the young man's fate was sealed.</p><p>The skeleton sighed, turning over in his bed. Steve made him nervous. Not in an imminent danger sort of way, no, but the exact way was muddled in Sans's brain and he didn't particularly know how to describe it.</p><p>Was it... because they were very close?</p><p>Sans didn't remember the last time he'd made a new friend.</p><p>Sans didn't remember the last time he'd <em>intended</em> to make a new friend.</p><p>Usually, he just didn't put in the effort. They'd forget about him as soon as the reset hit, after all.</p><p>He didn't have much time to think about it, though, for his phone buzzed in his pocket, playing the beginning of some Lemon Demon song he didn't remember the name of. Sans tugged it out gently yet firmly, spotting Papyrus's beaming face staring up at him from the screen. He smiled, dragging the green call icon to the right side of the screen and placing the phone next to his ear.</p><p>"hey, papy," he greeted. "isn't it past your bedtime?"</p><p>"SANS, IT'S ONLY SEVEN! WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?"</p><p>He raised an eyebrow, looking over at the clock on the end table. It read 7:02, true to Papyrus's word. "oh," Sans muttered. "sorry, bro. feels a lot later than that."</p><p>"I KNOW!" Papyrus groaned. There was some sort of sizzling sound on the other end. "THE SUN GOES DOWN MUCH TOO EARLY THIS TIME OF YEAR!"</p><p>"tell me about it."</p><p>"ANYWAYS, I'M JUST CALLING TO CHECK IN! I HEARD THEY ADDED A NEW COOL SUPER FIGHTER!"</p><p>"...super smash brother...?"</p><p>"A NEW SUPER SMASH BROTHER!"</p><p>"uh, yeah. his name's steve. pretty chill guy. we hung out and ate frozen pizza."</p><p>A gasp on the other end. "SANS, DID YOU MAKE A NEW FRIEND?" Sans could practically hear Papyrus grinning. "THAT'S WONDERFUL!"</p><p>"heh. thanks bro." He paused. "you cookin' something over there?"</p><p>"OH, YES!" Papyrus answered. "METTATON AND UNDYNE ARE HELPING ME MAKE SPAGHETTI! ALPHYS IS HERE, TOO!" Immediately, Sans heard faint hello's from all three of them, Undyne's roar of "HEY, LAZY BONES" overpowering everyone else. Papyrus laughed.</p><p>"sounds delicious, bro. undyne told me you were gettin' pretty good at that."</p><p>"INDEED I AM! MY COOKING IMPROVES EVERY DAY!" A pause. "FRISK IS HERE IN THE KITCHEN CUTTING VEGETABLES! WOULD YOU LIKE TO SAY HELLO TO THEM?"</p><p>The mental image of Frisk with a knife put an uneasy feeling in Sans's gut. "uh... sure."</p><p>There was fumbling on the other end as Papyrus presumably passed the cell phone over to the human.</p><p>After a few moments of silence, a soft voice. "Hi, Sans," Frisk smiled, and Sans could envision their expression perfectly.</p><p>The gentleness of their tone put him at ease. "hey, kiddo. be careful with that blade, will you? you could hurt yourself."</p><p>A noise of disapproval. "I know," they mumbled.</p><p>"what kind of vegetables are you choppin'?"</p><p>"Onion." The smile in their voice returned surprisingly quickly. "Making my eyes watery."</p><p>Sans laughed. "aw, c'mon, kid, don't cry."</p><p>"<em>Sans...</em>" They attempted to stifle a giggle but could stop it from bubbling to the surface.</p><p>"papyrus gettin' better at the spaghetti thing?"</p><p>"He's improved a lot since you went to the tournament," Frisk admitted. "I think he's memorized the recipe." They paused. "Did you go on a date today?"</p><p>Sans's eyes narrowed. "what?"</p><p>"Papyrus said something about you having a new... <em>friend.</em>" He could practically hear their smirk.</p><p>His face grew warm with embarrassment. "kid, i don't go on <em>dates,</em>" he chuckled. "what's a little pizza between friends?"</p><p>"Alright." There was an audible wink. "Tell me about them when you get the chance. Promise?"</p><p>"promise, kiddo."</p><p>They seemed satisfied with his answer. "Cool. Papyrus wants the phone back."</p><p>"aight. stay safe, kiddo."</p><p>There was shuffling as the phone was passed back to his brother. "SO, OTHER THAN YOUR FRIEND, HOW ARE THINGS GOING?"</p><p>"same as always, bro. tournament's entertaining, that's for sure. everyone's pretty nice." He paused, tapped his finger to his chin. "haven't been able to get much sleep, but i've been trying to keep myself on a schedule."</p><p>"WELL, I WISH YOU THE BEST OF LUCK ON THAT," Papyrus smiled. "MY SPAGHETTI'S ALMOST READY, SO I'LL LET YOU GO. I'LL COME AND VISIT YOU SOME TIME SOON, OKAY?"</p><p>"sounds good."</p><p>"ALRIGHT! GOODNIGHT, SANS! I LOVE YOU!"</p><p>"love you too, papy."</p><p>He hung up, stared at Papyrus's image for a few moments, then slid his phone onto the end table and buried his face in his hands.</p><p>He missed those guys. He really did.</p>
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<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Romance Is A Touchy Subject</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"Take him to the arcade."</p><p>Steve glanced up at Alex from across the dining room table, staring into her pale green eyes, inquisitive as always. He realized that he hadn't quite been paying attention.</p><p>"Sorry, Alex, I'm still half-asleep," he groaned, picking up another spoonful of stale, name-brand cereal. "Could you say that again?"</p><p>She mumbled something incomprehensible under her breath, taking a sip of coffee before starting over. "I said there's an arcade in the town nearby and I was gonna meet up with Hero and play some games on Saturday. You should totally call up that Sans guy and come with us!" She leaned in half-mockingly. "Hear me <em>now,</em> genius?"</p><p>Steve chuckled. "<em>Yes,</em> Alex, I got it," he said. "I'll consider it." He put the cereal in his mouth, disappointed at how bland it'd turned out to be. "How was the party last night? Seems like you had a lot of fun."</p><p>"Eh. It got boring pretty fast after you left. One of the Fire Emblem people brought a karaoke machine and all the chaos sort of died down into nothing." She took a bite of her own cereal, cringing at the texture. "Already stale...?"</p><p>"You left it open a couple of nights ago."</p><p>"Oh, yeah..." She opened the box back up and tossed the rest of her cereal back into the bag. "I think I'll just have the rest of my coffee and then I'll head out to check the tournament schedule."</p><p>Steve raised an eyebrow, looking her up and down. "You can't just have <em>coffee</em> for breakfast <em>every day</em>, you know."</p><p>"Watch me, Stevie, watch me." She gulped down the last of it in one swift motion, sauntering over to the kitchenette and placing her mug in the sink. "I'll be back in fifteen. Might wanna get the others ready for fightin' today."</p><p>She hurried out the door, almost forgetting to shut it as she dashed down the hall. Steve chuckled, leaning back in his chair and finishing the last of his own cereal. Then, without much in-between regarding the transition between his thoughts, he began sifting through the previous day's events.</p><p>For one, he didn't quite remember the last time he'd made a friend. He'd met Alex out in the middle of the woods late one night, dodging shots from her crossbow because she'd mistaken him for a zombie. In a world populated almost entirely by either hostile mobs, wild animals, and the occasional villager, Alex was a nice change of pace. She treated him like an older sibling, as they often participated in playful ribbing and half-hearted teasing at each other's expense.</p><p>Steve suspected the most recent friend he'd made was Herobrine. It was a process of elimination, really. Besides Sans, Steve only really knew two people. Meeting Herobrine was like finding a dead rat and poking it with a stick only to find that it was alive. Steve and Alex had been passing through a desert village, studying the strange traders in their community (they weren't quite human, Steve was quick to note). Herobrine had essentially been comatose roadkill left to die in the sun when Alex had found him, just outside where the Golem usually paced. He'd turned out fine in the end, though the fact that Herobrine looked almost identical to Steve unnerved the adventurers to no end.</p><p>That left Sans to think about, and <em>man,</em> was Sans <em>different. </em>Steve didn't have to think long to know why. It was obvious from the way he held himself that Sans was knee-deep in the emotional equivalent of molasses. Steve knew the feeling all too well, though what variant the skeleton was experiencing, he had no idea. The only version he'd ever been through was the soul-crushing sensation of feeling all alone in the world, even when he was with his friends.</p><p>Was Sans feeling that very same thing?</p><p>Steve didn't have enough evidence to say.</p><p>It intrigued him. It wasn't his place to pry, but he couldn't help but want to learn more about Sans's life. Steve wanted to <em>know</em> Sans. Not from a distance, silently watching as things bubbled to the surface like an aspiring chemist waiting for water to boil.</p><p>Did... Did he want to be friends?</p><p>Was that what he wanted? It sure felt like it.</p><p>Steve had never <em>wanted </em>to become friends with anyone. Well, of course, he'd wanted <em>friends,</em> but he'd never met someone and <em>longed</em> to be their friend. He'd always sort of stumbled upon it by accident, the circumstances making friendship a given.</p><p>
  <em>Vwoop.</em>
</p><p>The noise jerked Steve out of thought, and instinctively, he reached around for his sword. After a few moments of fruitless, desperate searching, his heart racing in his ears, he finally remembered that the only Enderman within a fifty-mile radius had been tamed. It didn't make him any less uneasy. Steve had learned to be afraid of the Ender species through experience (curse his curious nature).</p><p>He glanced up at the Enderman standing above him, squinting at the nametag Herobrine had attached to them. "Violet," the semi-transparent label read, and Steve sighed with relief.</p><p>Herobrine had a strange, unknowable connection with the Endermen. He saw every opposition to them as a personal attack, opting to search the strongholds endlessly for Ender Pearls rather than farming them off of the Ender species directly. No matter how many times they stole building materials or attacked him in the night (Herobrine had developed a rather unfortunate habit of trying to maintain eye-contact with anything that moved), he always seemed sympathetic towards them.</p><p>So it was no wonder that Herobrine had managed to tame them, of all things.</p><p>Steve stared up into emerald green eyes, forcing himself not to look away. Endermen communicated through thought, after all, and their eyes turned a pleasant green when they weren't controlled by the Dragon.</p><p>"Hey, Violet," Steve offered. "How'd you sleep?"</p><p><em>I'd assume your inflection implies a state of rest,</em> Violet responded. <em>If so, you should not worry. My dreams were pleasant and long.</em></p><p>He squinted, trying to absorb the words as best he could. An Enderman's speech felt more like reading off a piece of paper rather than hearing actual words, so any tone or meaning the words might've carried was hard to decipher.</p><p>"Uh... that's good," he smiled. "What're you doing here?"</p><p><em>I was bred by the soil of this dimension,</em> they answered. <em>I simply... enjoy it.</em></p><p>Steve frowned. "Err... I meant in this <em>dorm</em>, not in this <em>world.</em>"</p><p>There was no emotion in Violet's eyes, though Steve could've sworn he felt a wave of embarrassment radiate off of them.</p><p><em>I see. In that case, I am here to check up on you. Your thoughts seemed tangled and imprecise and so I assumed you were experiencing a shortage of necessary</em> <em>substances.</em></p><p>"Oh, well, you don't have to worry about that," Steve assured them, chuckling just the slightest. "I'm just... cycling through yesterday's events."</p><p><em>Reflection is a valuable part of life,</em> Violet nodded. <em>It is only natural.</em> They paused, looking Steve up and down, picking him apart. He shrunk in their gaze, knowing just how intuitive they could be. They'd already proven themselves far more insightful than anyone he knew. <em>Your thoughts seemed to center on hostile mobs. Are you in danger?</em></p><p>"What?" Steve's eyes narrowed. "Hostile...?" The realization hit after a few moments of consideration. "Oh. You mean Sans."</p><p>Violet stepped back. <em>Sans.</em></p><p>"Uh... yeah. He's a skeleton. He's not hostile, though. He's rather friendly."</p><p><em>I see. Not a skeleton of our</em> world.</p><p>"I'd suppose not."</p><p>They looked down at the ground for a moment before looking back at Steve. <em>The way you reflect upon this... "Sans..."</em> They seemed almost lost in thought, but Steve couldn't tell for certain. <em>Your inflection suggests... Do you perhaps wish to partake in partnership with this Sans?</em></p><p>Steve was taken by surprise. "Oh. Um. Sure?" he chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck. "I mean, he seems cool. I think we could be pretty good friends."</p><p>Violet blinked. <em>Friends.</em> There was a pang of realization that resonated within both of them. <em>Ah. I see. My wording must have been imperfect. Your thought process when reflecting upon this "Sans" is reminiscent of... is there a word for {[*****]} within your language?</em></p><p>"Um... can you describe it to me?"</p><p><em>When two Endermen express a significant bond between each other, they often... I can't quite think of it.</em> They paced the room once before settling one particular thought. <em>I</em><em> believe the human equivalent involves a combination of flowers, candles, and rings, though I am not entirely informed of what significance each of these objects represents.</em></p><p>Steve felt his face turn bright red as he finally realized what they were thinking of. "You mean, like... <em>marriage?!</em>"</p><p>
  <em>You are uncomfortable.</em>
</p><p>"I mean--" He laughed awkwardly, trying to compose himself. His hands felt clammy. "Not at all! I was just taken by surprise!"</p><p>
  <em>Judging by your reaction, I must have come to the wrong conclusion. I am deeply sorry for any trouble this misunderstanding may have caused.</em>
</p><p>Steve smiled, tugging at his collar. "Oh, no, it's no trouble, really," he explained, feeling a bit silly. "Sans and I... we're hardly friends, really. I mean... we get along really well, though, so there's probably something <em>there.</em> I wouldn't go so far as to call it <em>romantic,</em> but..."</p><p><em>So you are only acquaintances? </em>If Violet had eyebrows, they would've shot through the ceiling. <em>Your reflection upon him suggested you had much in common. I expected you to be much closer based on this fact.</em></p><p>"Yeah... so did I, honestly."</p><p>
  <em>Perhaps you are not giving yourself enough credit.</em>
</p><p>Steve frowned. "Maybe. I've really only had two friends before, so I wouldn't know."</p><p>The Enderman looked off into the distance, eyes unfocused for a moment. They turned back to the young man. <em>I believe my time here has been exhausted. Your company is appreciated, human Steve. I hope your existence in this time and space is a pleasant one.</em></p><p>With that, Violet disappeared in a puff of lavender particles, and Steve was left alone again.</p>
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<a name="section0005"><h2>5. We're Not Just Playing Games</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>If disassociating for four hours while lying in bed was intense, then fighting in the Smash Tournaments was like getting shot with a disassociation machine gun in the middle of the day. Not the most poetic or creative metaphor, but Steve settled for it.</p><p>He'd read how the battles would go down. The other fighters had taken him through the explanation one tedious step at a time as if they were reading off of an encyclopedia. Honestly, Steve didn't remember most of it. Something about controllers, subscriptions, players, and stick-jumps, though he hadn't caught on to what exactly that meant until he was on the battlefield, facing Alex, watching as the emotion just... drained out of her face for a solid five seconds. And then topsy-turvy lightheadedness hit him like a truck hitting maximum velocity in under ten seconds.</p><p>Naturally, he knew the movements were <em>his.</em> He thought about what he wanted to do, he knew how to do it, and he knew what would happen if he did. It was in line with his train of thought; planning things ahead and analyzing their consequences far before he acted. Something about it, however, made it feel like he was being tugged in several directions. As if his train of thought was on a rail with a hundred forks in the road, all one after the other, and a majority of the passengers were voting on which one to take.</p><p>And somehow, after it had been said and done, he didn't feel exhausted.</p><p>In fact, he felt more relaxed than he did when he <em>usually</em> fought, as if someone else had done all the work for him.</p><p>"Holy hell," Alex had breathed, sitting with Steve in the waiting room. "That felt strange."</p><p>"Strange how?"</p><p>"Like my brain was taking a Twitter poll every ten seconds."</p><p>"What's a Twitter poll?"</p><p>She'd glanced up at him with narrowed eyes. "Look, I know we've both never used a cell phone before, but you <em>could</em> learn how to use it." She'd paused and taken a sip of water. "Half-joking. It was like I was giving myself a couple of options but then someone else was choosing the answers. It was sort of freaky. <em>And.</em>" Alex pointed one finger at Steve's shirt. "At the beginning of the fight, your face did a thing. It was like you had a mini-stroke."</p><p>Steve raised an eyebrow. "Yours, too."</p><p>"<em>Weird.</em>" She glanced at her shoes, placing her water bottle on the bench next to her. "Hey, um, did you catch any of the spiel they gave earlier?"</p><p>"Hey, look, I thought <em>you</em> of all people would listen to most of it!" Steve frowned, crossing his arms. "You're usually pretty good with that."</p><p>Alex chuckled nervously. "Would it make you nervous if I said I tried to pay attention but couldn't?</p><p>"...Sort of."</p><p>"Not that it wasn't interesting, of course. Wasn't boring. At least the part that I actually heard." She crossed one leg over the other. "Mario was talking about subspace or something. I dunno. It was like my brain short-circuited as soon as he started talking about player-data."</p><p>"Hmm."</p><p>It became the norm to not quite know what was happening for the rest of the day. That nausea-inducing lightheadedness persisted throughout the rest of the day, though Steve found that if he didn't think much about it, it felt much less unusual. It was easier for him to focus, to let his thoughts be dragged, to roll with the quite literal punches.</p><p>Lunch break came about much earlier than he thought it would, though it wasn't unwelcome. Steve allowed himself to resume pondering the strange implications of the effects of the tournament, but he couldn't grasp what the answer to his troubles might've been. He decided, for now, that he would think about it when the day was done, when he had plenty of time to wind down and consider the day's events.</p><p>He met Alex in the cafeteria, who had taken the time to fetch them two slices of pizza from the kitchen. Sans joined them, too, though Steve thought he looked... well, off. Not only was he a little rounder than the night before, but Steve swore Sans' eyes hadn't looked <em>that</em> dead and lifeless.</p><p>
  <em>Is it me or does Sans look... smaller than usual?</em>
</p><p>"Oh, hey, it's that dude you were talkin' about!" Alex smiled, clearly oblivious to this fact.</p><p>"Err... yeah," Steve agreed, though he peered at Sans with clueless suspicion. "Sans, are you okay? You look, um..."</p><p>They both watched as Sans reached up with mittened hands, grabbed both sides of his own head...</p><p>...and popped it right off.</p><p>Steve might've screamed had there not been a Mii underneath. Alex shrieked a bit, grabbing Steve's shirt and tugging him closer for protection. The Mii Gunner simply smiled at them and waved, removing her gloves and smoothing back her hair. The fact that the Miis didn't speak much wasn't doing any of them any favors.</p><p>"Dude," Alex muttered, her breathing shallow, "that scared the <em>hell</em> out of me."</p><p>The real Sans walked over to their table with a slice of pizza in his hand, chuckling to himself. Though he still retained his usual aura, Steve thought he held himself much more confidently than the night before.</p><p>"i see you've met my doppelganger," Sans laughed, patting the Mii's head. "pretty talented kid if i do say so myself." He sat down across the table, resting his head in his hand. "so, how was your first day?"</p><p>"Genuinely sort of nauseating," Steve answered humorously. "Other than that, it was pretty--"</p><p>Alex did a sort of leap in front of him, not quite standing but looking as though she would jump onto the table. With one foot on the seat and one hand over Steve's mouth, she leaned towards Sans with a big smile.</p><p>"You're Steve's new friend!" she smirked. "Hopefully the real one! Wanna go to the arcade with us over the weekend?"</p><p>Her spunk practically knocked Sans off his feet but he smiled regardless. "uh... sure? i don't think i have anything going on." He tapped his chin thoughtfully. "now, you must be... um..."</p><p>"This is Alex," Steve started, gesturing in her direction. Alex, in turn, gave Sans a big grin. "Alex, this is Sans... though I'm sure you already knew that."</p><p>"ah, alex," Sans chuckled. "i think steve here must've mentioned you last night." He held out a hand to shake, winking at Steve.</p><p>Steve didn't have to be Sherlock Holmes to put together what would happen next. The moment Alex's hand met Sans's, a loud fart rang out across the entire cafeteria, earning several stares from the other roster members. Most of them continued on with their meals, as they were quite used to Sans's tomfoolery already, though that didn't stop Alex's smile from slowly fading as she realized what had just happened.</p><p>It looked like it was taking all of Sans's effort not to break into laughter. "heh. you just fell for the old 'whoopee cushion in the hand' trick," he smiled. "funny, isn't it?"</p><p>Alex sat back down in her seat, her lips pulled into a thin line. Steve didn't know whether to laugh or not.</p><p>The skeleton seemed to notice the change in atmosphere, as he stood up to excuse himself. "well, anyways, i've got places to be," he shrugged, still smirking somewhat. "but, hey, it was nice to meet you, alex. i'll see you guys this weekend, then?"</p><p>For only a millisecond, Steve's vision went completely black, and then Sans was gone. He looked back over at Alex.</p><p>"I'm gonna get my revenge," she hissed, looking genuinely upset. "I know what kind of guy he is. It's gonna be puns, pranks, and japes from here on out, isn't it?"</p><p>Steve opened his mouth but didn't say anything. He took a bite of his pizza instead.</p><p>Alex smiled menacingly. "Well, he's about to get a taste of his own medicine. I'll show him."</p><p>"Alex, don't do something you might regret," Steve warned, though he doubted he could do much else.</p><hr/><p>Within the next few days, the air had gotten gradually crisper, the chill of the winter months catching up with them and subsequently giving Alex a bad case of the sniffles. The rest of the week had been filled with non-stop fighting with no real effort on Steve's part, though he supposed, somewhere between the lines, he was still there.</p><p>Still, the weekend arrived if not unceremoniously, and there was Steve, standing in two jackets and shivering until his ribs hurt. Sitting on the sidewalk next to him was Herobrine in a t-shirt and shorts, goosebumps prickling his skin, though he showed no sign of being cold. Steve knew better than to ask. Usually, questions sparked questions rather than answers and he didn't feel like being any more confused than he already was.</p><p>Across the street from the arcade was a large parking lot for a nearby theater. A bright orange Sudan turned the corner at the intersection to Steve's right, then hastily pulled into the parking lot and stopped. Before the engine had even turned off, a lanky skeleton in red boots and some sort of costume stepped out of the driver's side, wearing the biggest smile Steve had ever seen.</p><p><em>The younger brother,</em> he realized, tapping Herobrine lightly with his foot.</p><p>From out of the passenger side, Sans the skeleton emerged, wearing the same old jacket and shorts he always did. Today, he was also wearing a pair of bright blue converse and striped crew socks, as well as a slightly less monotonous-looking smile.</p><p>For once, that smile looked <em>genuine.</em></p><p>"Just those two?" Herobrine wondered aloud.</p><p>Steve raised an eyebrow. "I'd assume so. Alex didn't invite anyone else."</p><p>Herobrine made a disgruntled sort of noise. "That's weird," he muttered. "I <em>really</em> expected three people to be in that car for some reason..."</p><p>And then, from around the corner, Alex hopped up, looking unusually smug. Spotting the badly-hidden whoopee cushion in her right hand, it wasn't hard to see why.</p><p>She winked at Steve as covertly as she could. Judging from Sans's expression as he walked up, he could already tell what Alex was planning.</p><p>"hey, alex," the skeleton grinned. "hey, steve." He glanced down at Herobrine, doing a double-take. Most people tended to do so, especially since Steve and Herobrine looked identical.</p><p>Before Sans had time to comment on it, though, Alex had already made her way over, sticking out her hand almost too eagerly. "You know, after yesterday, I think it's time we had a <em>real </em>handshake," she smirked. "Am I right?"</p><p>Sans barely even glanced at her hand. "sure," he chuckled. "you oughta be careful, though. it looks like somebody must've put a whoopee cushion in your hand to try and prank you."</p><p>Alex's smile fell.</p><p>"yeah," Sans continued. "i'd bet it's some sort of whoopee-cushion criminal. keep a lookout for me, okay?" He winked in Steve's direction. "anyways, how have you all been holding up?"</p><p>"It's been okay," Steve admitted. He looked over at Sans's younger brother. "I think some introductions are in order, aren't they?"</p><p>Papyrus's face lit up like the sun. "I THOUGHT YOU WOULD NEVER ASK!" he exclaimed, standing up to his full height. He looked much taller in real life than he did in Sans's photograph. "I AM THE GREAT PAPYRUS! OF COURSE, YOU KNOW MY BROTHER SANS!" He patted Sans on the shoulder with one gloved hand. "AND YOU MUST BE... STEVEN, CORRECT?"</p><p>Steve laughed. "Just Steve, actually," he corrected. "It's very nice to meet you, Papyrus." He held out a whoopee cushion-free hand for the taller skeleton to shake.</p><p>"IT IS VERY NICE TO MEET YOU AS WELL, JUST-STEVE!" Papyrus smiled, shaking Steve's hand. "I SEE YOU ALSO HAVE A BROTHER, PERHAPS?"</p><p>Herobrine let out a bark of a laugh, slowly getting up off the sidewalk. "Brothers... <em>heh.</em>" He smoothed out his shirt, the brilliant gleam of his cold, dead eyes making Steve shiver. "Nah. You can see the resemblance, though." He poked Steve's cheek. "Look at that. That's me. But it's Steve."</p><p>"Yeah, yeah, we get it," Alex frowned, idly kicking the sidewalk and heading towards the arcade's doors. "Figured that out when we found you face-down in the sand."</p><p>"Why are <em>you</em> so upset?" Herobrine grunted, oblivious.</p><p>"Whoopee cushion criminal," Alex hissed.</p><p>Herobrine just turned to Steve, a blank expression on his face. Steve just shrugged, not quite caring.</p><p>"Come on," Alex sighed, "let's just go in. Play some games." She opened the door to the arcade, and they all went inside.</p>
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